Children Hospitalized from Firearm Injuries: The Suffering Continues After the Gunshot

1/27/2014For Release: January 27, 2013

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​​​​​​​Every day in the U.S., about 20 children are injured by
firearms seriously enough to require hospitalization, and more than 6 percent
of those who are admitted die from their injuries, according to a study,
“Hospitalizations Due to Firearm Injuries in Children and Adolescents,” in the
February 2014 issue of Pediatrics (published online Jan. 27). Researchers
looked at children and adolescents younger than age 20 at the time of admission
to the hospital in 2009. In that year, 7,391 hospitalizations occurred in this
age group because of firearm injuries, and 453 of those young patients died
while in the hospital. Most of the hospitalizations resulted from assaults
(4,559), and the fewest were from suicide attempts (270). However, injuries
from suicide attempts most often resulted in death. The most common types of
firearm injuries included open wounds (52 percent); fractures (50 percent); and
internal injuries of the thorax, abdomen or pelvis (34 percent). Traumatic
brain injuries occurred most often in children younger than age 5. Children who
survive firearm injuries often require extensive follow-up treatment once
released from the hospital, including rehabilitation, home health care,
hospital readmission from delayed effects of the injury, and mental health or
social services. Study authors conclude the data highlight the toll of gun
related injuries that extends beyond high-profile cases, and that
pediatricians and other health care providers can play an important role in
preventing these injuries through counseling about firearm safety, including
safe storage. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the safest home
for a child is a home without guns, and if there is a gun in the home, it must
be stored unloaded and locked, with the ammunition locked separately.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an
organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists
and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and
well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more
information, visit www.aap.org.